Safe and Sound
by akiraflame-tumblr
Summary: Beth is a hit singer/songwriter and she loves her fans. Lately, though, some of her fans have been more exuberant than others and they're making her concerned for her safety. She needs a bodyguard. With the help of her family friend, Rick, she meets Daryl, who agrees to be her bodyguard. Their relationship is awkward, but they become friends fast. Could they potentially be more?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, here it is! My newest fic! My thanks to my chat ladies for their help with looking it over (I was sooo nervous about this one!) AND major love and thanks to NormaanReedus on tumblr for the idea and for encouraging me! Ily!**

**I also want to dedicate this to my bae, flippantninny on tumblr. Idk if she'll read it but Ily her and wanna make sure she knows it. Okay, sappy part is done.**

**Without further ado, here it is!**

**Chapter One - **

"Go ahead and help yourself to dinner and a beer. Lori nor Carl are feeling too well so they had soup and are asleep already. When you're done, there's something I want to show you." Rick told Daryl as he walked through the sheriff's front door. Daryl gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and nodded his appreciation before going into the kitchen and piling a plate with chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. Daryl would never admit it out loud but he was always grateful for the days that Lori wouldn't be home or want to cook dinner and made her husband do it. Rick was definitely the better cook of the two.

The hunter took a deep breath of the smells of the food on his plate and sighed. A full meal and an ice cold beer after a long, exhausting day was just what he needed. The younger Dixon quickly opened the fridge and took out two beers before trudging to the living room to join Rick in front of the TV.

"Any luck out there today?" the sheriff asked and Daryl shook his head as he dropped down onto the couch beside his best friend. Rick and Daryl had been friends for years, and the sheriff was like a brother to him now. Hell, they called each other "brother" more than they called each other by their names now.

"Nah. I knew staying behind would be a pain in the ass but job hunting makes it even worse. There ain't any jobs here for a dumbass redneck like me." The sheriff frowned.

"I told you that you could work at the station with me. Get you licensed and all to be a bounty hunter."

"And have to catch my own brother? Hell nah," Daryl grumbled out before taking a bite of his dinner. "What'd you wanna show me?"

"I figured you would say no to my offer again but I think I found something better anyways. Just…watch this first and then hear me out before you say anything, alright?" Daryl eyed the man beside him warily before nodding and sitting back in the cushions, his plate nestled on his lap and his beer on the table beside him. Rick hit a button on his TV remote and the screen opened up to a saved recording of some hit television news show that Daryl never watched. He quirked an eyebrow at the man beside him but didn't say anything. Rick ignored the look and hit the play button on his DVR and Daryl focused his attention back on the TV as the intro music for the show played. The camera panned to the hostess with her bleached hair and fake smile and Daryl turned his glare onto his brother who gestured back to the television screen. Daryl rolled his eyes but turned back to the screen as he took a frustrated bite of chicken.

"Good afternoon, everybody! We have a very exciting show today. She's the hottest singer out there and her first album just came out only a few weeks ago. 'Expired Lover' is currently number one on the music charts, please welcome the young and amazingly talented, Beth Greene!" The audience went wild with cheers as the hostess stood up and the camera panned to a door at the back of the room. A tall woman with long, wavy blonde hair that was pulled over one shoulder and had a small braid running through it and bright blue eyes walked through the door, a bright, heart-stopping smile on her face as she walked between two rows of the audience, shaking their hands or giving brief hugs as she went. The hunter was surprised by how she was dressed. For being a big celebrity and on a television show, she was dressed rather casually in a pair of dark blue jeans, boots, and a dressy top. Daryl heard a chuckle from beside him and looked at Rick, confused.

"Interested now?" the sheriff asked, teasingly and Daryl had to force the scowl on his face.

"No," he growled out.

"You sure? You're on the edge of your seat there, Dixon," Rick pointed out with a laugh and Daryl frowned. When had he moved forward? Why had he stared so intently at this Beth Greene on the television?

"Shutup, Grimes." Rick shrugged but kept chuckling to himself as they turned back to the television. Beth had taken her seat next to the hostess and was looking around the room happily, waving and blowing kisses to some of the audience. When the audience finally settled, the hostess let out a loud breath.

"That is just spectacular! I don't think we've ever had our audience get so loud before!" The woman exclaimed, making the petite blonde laugh. "Hello, Beth, it is such a pleasure to meet you! May I just say, I love your music!"

"Oh, thank you, this is just so…surprising. I'm in shock right now!" Beth replied with a nervous laugh that sent a flurry through Daryl's stomach.

"Is this your first television interview?" the hostess asked. Beth shook her head.

"No, well, kind of. I've had some smaller, local news interviews but nothing quite this big."

"I understand, it can be a lot to take in. Why don't you just start by telling us a little bit about yourself?" Daryl groaned at the same time that Beth did in the interview.

"I hate that question," she said with a small laugh. "I never know what to say. What do I tell you? What if it's too much information?" The hostess gave a fake chuckle and Beth's smile dropped slightly.

"What about your family? Any brothers or sisters? How does your family feel about your sudden take off into the music industry?" Daryl could see Beth's smile drop a little more and her hands began plucking at her jeans.

"Damn," Rick muttered beside him. "I forgot about that…Why do they always ask that question?" The sheriff met Daryl's eyes and he paused the recording. "This is my first time to watch it but I know Beth. She's a family friend of mine and she called me about this interview to ask a favor…apparently, they didn't stop filming the show so we'll see here shortly what she needs…But that question, it's unfair of people to ask. Surely the station researched her life a little?" Rick sunk into his seat and hit play, leaving Daryl's questions unanswered. Daryl sighed and turned his attention back to the show.

"My family…yeah, they support my career and sudden rise into fame," the blonde gave a small smile and looked expectantly at the hostess of the show, waiting for the next question.

"That's…good that they support you. How do they feel about the incident at your last show? Do we have footage of that?"

"Oh no," Beth mumbled as a video began to play on the screens on the set. In the video, Beth stood on a stage and she was in the middle of singing a song with fans on the ground at her feet singing along and swaying to the beat. The fans were parted roughly as a man came running up to the front of the mosh pit and reached up, grabbing a hold of Beth's slim ankle and yanking it. The blonde lost her balance and fell, her body being pulled off the stage by the man. Daryl searched the stage and the area around it for someone on a security team but saw no one.

"What the hell?!" he yelled while gesturing angrily at the television. "Why doesn't she have a bodyguard or somethin'? How come the concert hall didn't have security?" He asked angrily. Rick shrugged but Daryl could see the tenseness in the man's body. He was clearly angry about the situation as well.

"I don't know," Rick growled. "Beth didn't tell me about that incident…" The camera panned back to Beth and her face was apologetic.

"Sorry, Rick, I didn't want you to find out about it that way…" she mumbled into the camera. Daryl looked between the television and his brother.

"How close are you two?" he asked the sheriff through narrowed eyes.

"I'm a good friend of her father Hershel and through him, friends with her. I've known her for several years now…" The sheriff picked up his phone and stared at it for a moment before putting his attention back on the show that had been playing through their whole conversation.

"Do you not have a bodyguard to help keep you safe?"

"I don't, actually. I'm looking to get one now though. After…the stage incident and the late-night visitor at my home, I need one now…I asked a family friend to help me with it, he's a sheriff back at home, so we'll see."

"That has to be pretty scary. I would want a live-in body guard after all of that!" the hostess exclaimed and Beth sighed and nodded. "We need to take a commercial break, when we return, we'll have more of Beth Greene. Stay tuned," the hostess smiled and the camera panned back as commercials began. Right as the camera was going to fade out, several people ran from their seats to the stage to speak with or hug Beth.

"What the hell? Does nowhere have decent security?!" Daryl growled out as he stood and stomped to the kitchen.

"I guess not. It's a problem that she's been experiencing a lot of lately. She asked if I knew anyone who might want to help her. I was thinking you might be interested," Rick told him as he followed the hunter into the kitchen to clean up the dishes and leftovers. The hunter spun around to stare at the sheriff incredulously.

"Me?! I don't know anything about being a bodyguard!"

"You know how to defend yourself in a fight. You have a concealed carry license. Your protective of her already and you haven't even met her. How's that for a start? You can meet her, she's here for a short break, if you two hit it off, you can give it a trial run. I think you'd be good at it. She could use the help. It would give you money, a place to live, and you'd get to travel." Daryl frowned.

"I'd have to live with her…." He glanced at his feet for a second before looking back up at his brother. "I ain't ever been outta Georgia before…" he muttered. When his eyes met Rick's again, he saw the wide grin the sheriff had on his face. "What?!"

"I think you made your mind up, huh?" Daryl shrugged.

"She needs the help…I could look into it until two of ya find someone better….Ya really think I'd be good at it?" Rick nodded and clapped his hand on Daryl's shoulder.

"The best. I'll call her and set up a dinner or something."


	2. Author's Note

**A/N: **I apologize for doing this to you, for posting this as a new chapter in all of my fics and making you think that I have updated them when this isn't an update.

It's a notice.

I lost my sister almost a week ago. She was my shoulder, my strength, my sword and shield, my confidante…my best friend.

She taught me the love and joy of writing.

She taught me the love and joy of fanfiction.

And right now, there is a huge hole in my heart and a deep-seated pain in my chest.

Writing is damn impossible now.

I'm not going to be updating any of my fics or writing any of my prompts for a while.

Though this goes against everything she (and my family) believed in and would want for me, I'm not sure if I will ever be able to write again, to be honest.

Please continue to be patient and I hope you can understand.

I'm currently taking a hiatus from my Tumblr (aside from my post about meeting Norman Reedus and honoring my sister's life with him) and from writing.

I will make a post on my Tumblr when/if I return to writing.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:**This was really difficult to write My sister was my inspiration for writing and often helped me with writer's block whenever she could. I can't believe it has been 62 days since her passing…

This chapter, and everything else I write from this point on, is written in her honor.

It is also written in thanks to you all. Over the past 62 days, I have received so many lovely messages that have given me strength and I am so grateful. Thank you all for your support, love, and understanding. I can't promise that updates will be frequent but they will happen eventually.

Without further ado:

**Safe and Sound, chapter 2 – **

"This place is very…nice," Daryl muttered as he walked into the restaurant, his thoughts focusing on the lavish looking décor. "Looks expensive. You pick this place or did she?" The hunter looked to the sheriff walking beside him, eyeing the jeans and button up the man was wearing and feeling extremely underdressed in his torn jeans and sleeveless button up. "Shoulda told me to dress nicer."

"I picked it," Rick replied calmly, smiling in greeting to the hostess. "I wanted to make sure Beth felt comfortable for this meeting. She's become extremely paranoid and anxious with everything going on. The place isn't as expensive as it looks; it's quite laid back so relax. Most expensive meal is twelve dollars and don't feel underdressed. Lori wants me to meet up with her here in a few hours to see her parents, that's why I'm like this. Missing a big game to see the in-laws…" Daryl snorted and shook his head at Rick who looked at him before turning back to the hostess. "Grimes, we asked for the backroom."

"Ah, yes, hello Sheriff. Your party's third member is already here and back in the room. Follow me, please." Rick nodded and tapped the podium before following the hostess to a closed door at the back of the room. Daryl followed cautiously, his mind warring with the idea of staying and meeting the famous blonde he knew was waiting beyond the door in front of him or turning and running away.

The hunter had been questioning whether he would be a good body guard for the blonde or not since Rick had called and set up the meeting two days ago. Being her bodyguard would mean _living _with her, a woman he didn't know. A woman who was _rich _and _famous _and his experiences with people like that led to judgment from them and discomfort and hurt for him and he had _absolutely _no desire to deal with that.

Rick vouched for her, however. Rick said she wasn't like that but people can be two-faced. She could act one way in front of friends and family and be another way with strangers or people from poor backgrounds. Daryl was a redneck. A dirty, no-good redneck that this woman, _Beth, _would take one look at and tell him no, that she didn't want to be seen with him on the streets or backstage or anywhere in public. Daryl didn't know if he could honestly deal with that fierce rejection, not again.

"Daryl," Rick interrupted, his blue eyes meeting Daryl's, "this isn't binding. If you don't like her or don't feel comfortable with the job, you can walk away. I assure you, you won't feel that way and you two will get along. Come on," the sheriff thanked the hostess as she held the door open for the two and walked into the room. Daryl watched the man enter and sighed.

_Come on, Darylina, stop being such a pussy, _Merle's voice rang in Daryl's head and he frowned, took a deep breath and walked through the open door. The room was of decent size and had three tables in it. The room was obviously designed for parties but today's "party" consisted of three people and a job.

"Beth, it's so good to see you again," Rick approached the blonde sitting at the middle table and she stood, a brilliant smile on her face as she walked around the table to stand in front of Rick. Daryl eyed her as she hugged the sheriff.

Once again, Beth Greene wasn't dressed the way he expected her to be. She was wearing stained boot cut jeans with well-worn work boots and a t-shirt with the logo for Jack Daniels on it. Her long, wavy blonde hair was pulled back in a knot and pulled through the back of the baseball cap she was wearing. Her eyes were hidden behind a large pair of sunglasses. The only part of her face that Daryl could see clearly was the lower half of her face, from her lips down. The rest was hidden in the shadow of her cap and her sunglasses.

Daryl didn't need to see her bright blue eyes to know she was looking at him. He could feel it.

"Beth, this is Daryl Dixon. He's been a friend of mine for quite some time. I think he's the man for the job." Daryl shifted uncomfortably as Beth's attention turned completely to him. The petite blonde walked closer to him, her eyes never straying from his, a soft smile on her lips. Her small hand extended and he looked down at it briefly before raising his to shake it. He felt awful when he realized how soft her hands were compared to his callused and dry hands. A Dixon shouldn't touch a woman like Beth Greene.

Beth tightened her grip on his hand slightly and he lifted his gaze to settle on hers, confusion etching on his face at her change in grip.

"I'm not as fragile as I seem. I work on a farm, Mr. Dixon. You don't need to be worried about hurting me with a simple handshake."

"Daryl," the hunter corrected, "Mr. Dixon isn't me, Ms. Greene."

"Just like Ms. Greene isn't me. Please, just call me Beth. Let's sit, I'm starving."

The three sat down, Beth on one side of the table, Rick and Daryl sitting on the other. A waiter came in and took their drink orders.

"Let's get right to it, shall we? I can tell you're not completely comfortable, Daryl, and I think it might have something to do with the job so let's go ahead and answer any questions and discuss the important details." Beth thanked the waiter and took her drink the moment he set it down in front of her and took a long drink through the straw.

"What does the job entail? I'd be your body guard, I get that, but what do I need to do?"

"Well, I've had a couple of…unwanted guests at a couple of my hotel rooms and a few incidents at concerts and interviews with shows on TV…so…I _desperately _need someone to help be a…buffer between me and those people, as terrible as that sounds."

"We saw that on that interview," Rick muttered, his body tense at the memory of seeing the blonde being pulled off the stage and then bombarded at the talk show. "Did those venues not have security available?"

"They did, but some of my fans are more exuberant and their security staff weren't quite prepared, I guess…"

"You could get seriously hurt if it happened again," Rick reprimanded. Beth sighed and nodded.

"I'm aware. I already have, to be honest. That's why I reached out to you first, I need someone around me that I can trust." Beth's eyes moved to Daryl's, "and if you trust someone, I trust them too." The blonde sighed again, "I'm tired of it being so dark so…I'm going to remove all this," she gestured to her hat and sunglasses, "but you can't get upset. It's not as bad as it looks, okay?" Beth took her sunglasses and hat off and Daryl sucked a deep breath in through clenched teeth at the sight of the large, black and blue bruise that marred her pale skin from her hairline, down her right temple to her eyebrow.

Anger boiled in Daryl's veins and he stood abruptly from his chair, causing it to crash to the hardwood floors of the room.

"These people are your fans, right? You're saying they adore you, that they love you? Then they do something ridiculous like drag you off the stage in the middle of a concert?" The hunter's words were heavy with his drawl, his anger making it stronger as he paced and gesticulated fiercely with his arms and hands. "You don't need a bodyguard, you need a goddamn army, woman!"

Flashes of seeing his mother's face all banged and bruised up crossed Daryl's mind and he growled, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms to try and make them vanish from his memory.

_This is different. Beth ain't being beat up on purpose, these are accidental injuries from stupid fuckers who don't pay attention to what they're doing._

"Daryl," Beth's voice was full of concern, "it's okay. Look at me." Two soft hands gently touched Daryl's wrists, a whisper of a touch to let him know she was in front of him and that she was there, to keep from startling him. The touch turned into a gentle hold on his wrists and he removed his hands and met het gaze.

"This is why I need you, Daryl. I love my fans but…they can be exuberant. Not everyone thinks what they do over, they're not like you." The hunter eyed Beth for a moment before she continued, "I saw you, eyeing the door before coming in here. You were weighing whether even meeting me was something you might want to do or not. Rick tells me you're a hunter, that means you're observant, right? You think and see the different options and scenarios for striking, am I correct? I need someone with those skills. I need someone who is going to think about the "_what if's" _and Rick thinks you're that person.

"I'm starting to see it too. I want to get to know you first and I suspect you want to do the same about me. I would, if I was about to live with a stranger. Which I am…so…come on. Calm down and join us again." Daryl sighed and nodded, mumbling a small apology to the blonde before righting his seat and sitting down. Rick gave him a clap on the shoulder before returning his glance to the blonde as she sat down and pulled her cap back on as the waiter returned to take their food orders.

"Paparazzi are another issue we'll have to deal with and I'm on tour, or will be again soon, which means traveling. A lot. Both of those are probably the biggest issues you'll have to deal with. The paparazzi may try to claim you're my boyfriend or some ridiculous thing like that and they may try to dig up information about you. I don't read the tabloids so I never know what they say about me but if you read them, which I doubt – no offense – then you need to be prepared for anything.

"I have to know, do you have combat skills? Hand to hand? You're a hunter, so you clearly have weapon skills of some kind and from what I hear from Rick, you are quite skilled with weapons and have "deadly accurate aim," his words exactly."

"I own guns and have a concealed carry license, plus a crossbow and multiple knives," flashes of the numerous fist fights Daryl had gotten into because of his brother crossed his mind and he frowned, "I'm skilled at several types of hand-to-hand combat. Why? You expecting a need for violence?"

"No, nothing like that…just..making sure." The conversation paused as their food was brought in. Daryl observed as Beth lowered her head slightly to hide her face from their waiter and thanked him before he left the room. "The last thing I can think of to talk to you about is pay.

"The farmhouse has many rooms, so you are welcome to stay there with me…though it is preferred that you do, I can arrange an apartment or the guest…room…thing above the barn, although I wouldn't suggest that because it's quite cold in there…"

"The house will be fine, Beth," Daryl interrupted, making the blonde sigh in relief.

"Thank you. You won't need to worry about room and board or utilities or any of that. I will happily cook if you help clean and help with groceries and you don't need to feel obligated to help me with the farm work, but if you want to help with it, I won't say no. I just figure dealing with the paparazzi and all that is enough work for you to do. You won't need to worry about insurances; I'll provide those for you too.

"I figure that you're getting the short end of the stick here with having to deal with everything and traveling and what not..so I will happily help cover any expenses but….well, research online says that the average bodyguard pay is around sixty thousand a year so that's what we'll start you with."

Daryl inhaled in surprise at the large amount and all the benefits Beth said she would cover and choked on his drink.

"Sixty…thousand?" he choked out around his coughs. Beth nodded, her eyes full of concern.

"Are you…"

"Are you sure? That's a lot of money and you don't even know if I'll be any good at it."

"Money doesn't mean anything to me, Daryl. The farmhouse has been paid off for…half a century. I don't have any debts that need to be paid off…the money just goes to paying for sets and designs and charities. The latter is, of course, the best way to spend the money I've earned but I need a bodyguard. A damn good one too. I think you'll be it and I'm asking a lot of you and I want to make sure you are well compensated for it." Daryl stared at the blonde, flabbergasted.

"What the hell does a person do with that much money?" he asked and Rick chuckled. The hunter had almost forgotten the man was with them, he had been so quiet.

"They live lavishly, normally," Rick answered.

"I…I don't need that kind of money…" Daryl stuttered. Beth's face fell and the hunter immediately backtracked. "I'm not saying no to the job, I'll help you out but…I'm not sure what to do with the income. If you're going to pay me that much, I'll help out with the farm work and pay for my own insurances and expenses. I ain't some charity case, Greene, and I don't want you to treat me like one."

"I wasn't trying to…"

"I'm just saying, Beth."

"Understood," the blonde nodded. "The farmhouse is situated in the middle of over a hundred acres of land. There's a wooded area behind the barn and farmhouse that is excellent for hunting. You are more than welcome to use it anytime you want." Daryl smiled slightly at her words. Hunting was not just a way he fed himself before living with Rick, it was also a way he relieved stress and relaxed.

"It's just you, right? I don't need to worry about protecting a sister or anything do I? Cuz I ain't a babysitter." Beth's lips flattened into a straight line on her face and she shook her head no.

"It's just me," she answered tightly. "Does this mean you'll take the job?" Daryl took a bite out of his hamburger and nodded. The blonde smiled brightly before taking a bite of her cheeseburger. "When can you start?"

"When do you want me to start?" the hunter asked. Beth looked down at her plate and bit her lower lip before glancing back up at Daryl, her eyes silently pleading. "Tonight or tomorrow work for you?" he mumbled, making the blonde smile slightly.

"Is tonight okay with you?" she asked and Daryl could see the nerves and anxiety that Rick had talked about earlier in her eyes. "If that's too soon to expect you, I understand completely…we can just do this weekend or," Beth began to ramble and Daryl shook his head.

"Tonight's fine. I've only got a duffle bag of clothes, nothing that will take long to pack and move."

"Oh…that's great. Thank you, Daryl…and Rick, thank you for convincing him to do this and bringing him here." Rick nodded, his mouth full of his food and Daryl smirked at the man before eyeing the blonde across from him.

She wasn't as bad as he had expected her to be which made the hunter think that maybe this bodyguard thing wouldn't be as bad as he had first thought. Plus the pay was more than he expected it to be and his…boss was pretty nice to look at, friendly too. Maybe they would become friends, maybe he would become someone who deserved to even be in the presence of the woman in front of him.

_Don't get ahead of yourself, Dixon._

_It's a job, a roof over your head, and food. That's it. Nothing more._


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: **We had a preliminary hearing yesterday for the man who killed my sister. It has made this week pretty difficult to deal with and motivation went out the window after the hearing was over but I am going to try…so here we go, an attempt at an update.

I miss you, sis. So much. This chapter is for you.

This chapter is also for Summers Rage and no-place-like-it for their support/constant nagging for updates and beyondmythought-s and bethgreenewarriorprincess because I love them.

This chapter is brought to you by Elenowen's "The Storm."

I'm also without my glasses right now, so pardon any mistakes. I have the font to the size labeled "blind" and the page zoomed into like 150% to help me read what I type but still…anywho:

**Safe and Sound – Chapter Three**

Daryl followed Beth's old truck up a curved gravel driveway. The full moon lit up a large, but dark, farmhouse. His eyes took in the barn, with small amounts of light shining through the closed doors and windows, and the chicken coop located not far from it, the lights emitted through the small mesh windows and door of the coop. The dark woods in the distance made Daryl's fingers itch to go hunting with his crossbow and he hoped that he could make time to explore them the next day after he adjusted to the house. The red brake lights of Beth's truck brightened as she pulled her truck to a stop near the steps of the farmhouse. Daryl pulled his truck up beside hers and parked, turning the key to kill the engine while his eyes took in the house in front of him.

Even with the full moon, Daryl struggled to get a full view of the farmhouse's size but the moonlight helped show the hunter just how much land Beth owned. It was truly awe-inspiring and it gave Daryl the urge to sleep out under the stars and explore the land to its entirety. He climbed out of his truck and grabbed his duffel bag of clothes and his crossbow. A quick glance at his motorcycle told him it was still safely strapped into the bed of the truck and could stay where it was until morning.

To be honest, Daryl was exhausted and eager to crash in the bed Beth told him would be ready for him. He would have his own bedroom again. A bedroom and a real bed, not a pallet on the floor of the Grimes's house in their living room, not that there was anything wrong with that and not that Daryl wasn't grateful for the temporary housing they had given him but he had missed having his own bedroom.

"Do you need help with anything? Need me to take you bag and bow while you move your bike off your truck?" Beth asked as she came around the front of his truck. Daryl unconsciously tightened his grip on his crossbow at her question. Nobody touched the hunter's crossbow except for him.

"Nah, it can stay for the night. Take care of it in the mornin'," he replied. Beth nodded and turned from the hunter, her steps graceful and quiet as she ascended the steps to the front porch of the farmhouse. Daryl's eyes followed her for a moment and he shook his head when he realized he had been staring at the blonde's ass.

_Fuck, Dixon, walk and look ahead. _Daryl followed Beth up the stairs and to the front door, watching as she opened the door and noting the lack of the locks being used.

"You normally leave the front door unlocked?" he asked, his eyes making quick sweeps around the living room for any signs of unwanted guests once Beth flipped the lights on.

"Yeah, we've never locked the door that I know of," Beth replied, her voice full of curiosity. "As far back as I can remember, we have never had any issues of people finding or coming out here…"

"There's never been anybody famous living here, til now. Best get in the habit of having your keys and locking up." Beth's eyes widened and Daryl shrugged. "You're worried about your safety, leaving your house unlocked ain't gonna help that concern. Once your more…exuberant fans, as you call them, find out where you live, it won't take 'em long to come and visit ya at home too." Beth's mouth formed an "oh" as she listened to the conversation before she nodded.

"I have spare keys so I will grab one for you to have in the morning," the blonde reached around behind Daryl and turned the lock on the front door before gesturing that she was going to go and do the same thing to the back door. Daryl nodded and walked around the living room, looking for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. He was also looking around to try and get a handle on his new roommate. A black piano sat against one wall, blank and half written on sheet music sitting on and around the instrument. A guitar laid across one of the couches and several notebooks sat on the coffee table between the couches.

Various jackets and even a few t-shirts lay on the couches and multiple shoes were vicariously strewn about on the floor. Daryl smirked at the sight of the slightly messy room, his opinion of the blonde already adjusting. He had honestly expected her to be a neat freak.

"Oh gosh, I am so sorry about the mess. I was so focused on getting your room all set up and cleaned that I completely ignored all of the other rooms. This is, um, the living room. Obviously. I sort of use this room to do a lot of my work in and I'm normally much cleaner than this I just…I got writer's block something terrible the other day and I was so sore and frustrated that I just kicked off my shoes and tore through the house for my boots and some clothes I could go out and do some work in…yeah, I'll clean this up…" Beth rambled, her cheeks turning pink as she took in the clothes that were strewn on one of the couches.

_Oh lord,_ the blonde stared mortified, _one of my bras…When did I leave that there?_

Daryl seemed to notice the article of clothing at the same time Beth had, his ears turning a slight pink before he glanced at the photos on the wall. Beth hurriedly grabbed all of the clothes and ran them down the hall to the washroom.

"Umm, the laundry room is down here," Beth hollered to Daryl, the hunter looking briefly in her direction before moving into the dining room and kitchen, the blonde joining him after she had stashed her clothes in the washer.

"Anything food or drink wise is yours so if you get hungry or thirsty, just help yourself at anytime. If you finish something, just write it on the grocery list and we can replenish it when the next grocery day is. There's a bedroom and a bathroom through this other hallway from the living room. I figured you would want this room since it is the only one on the first floor. If you'd rather be upstairs, we can do that too." Beth led Daryl down the hallway and into the room that would be his. It was surprisingly large with a queen-sized bed in it and an attached bathroom.

"My bedroom is upstairs…" Beth continued before a yawn interrupted her.

"The tour can finish tomorrow, Beth. Go get some sleep," Daryl gestured with his head for Beth to go and she nodded sleepily as she turned to leave. The blonde paused in the bedroom doorway.

"Daryl?" the man in question turned to face Beth and quirked his eyebrow at her. "Thank you…for doing this. For starting tonight…" Daryl's eyes settled on the bruise that stood out darkly on the youngest Greene daughter's temple and nodded.

"You needed me. No need to thank me."

**A/N: I honestly do not like this chapter…sorry. The next one will be better!**


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